Clinton Elementary School
Related Arts Back to School Night
Library – Mrs. Latimer
Clinton students want to be successful readers and users of the library. Mrs. Latimer's library
program is designed to support the students in this reading quest. The core elements of the
Clinton library program are
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Read every day
Engage your brain in learning
Ask questions
Develop your creativity
The library program has two phases which follow the growth of the students as they advance
through the school.
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Phase 1 - In Phase 1 (1st grade falls here) students are able to check out 2 books a week.
Children are encouraged to explore the books and select "just right" books for their
individual reading levels. (Approximately 10-12 minutes are devoted to selecting books).
Occasionally, a student may want a stretch ("dessert") book that is beyond his/her current
reading level - this is fine and demonstrates a desire to learn. In addition, during phase 1
each child who signs the annual READ pledge (sent home in backpacks earlier this year)
has the opportunity to check out a third book each week!
The program builds the students visual learning skills whenever possible. Mrs. Latimer
participates in the lending program with the Maplewood Library (Hilton branch) and is
able to obtain resources to support the Clinton programs. For example, she borrows large
posters depicting various events, people and places. The posters are fantastic tools that
can be used to prompt critical thinking questions and the use of visual learning skills.
The 3 prompt questions used to lead these discussions are:
o What do you see?
o What makes you say that?
o What else do you see?
We encourage you to incorporate these questions into your discussions with your children
about book illustrations, art work and items you come across in your daily adventures.
Mrs. Latimer also begins to expose the children to the concept of digital citizenship. She
takes them on guided tours on the internet (Google earth and other websites that are
relevant to the lesson plan). They begin to learn that as members of the digital
community it their responsibility to evaluate each website to determine whether it is a
safe and helpful website. The students use Joyce Valenza's website evaluation process:
o Review the content
o Determine content credibility by researching the authority for the content,
o Examine the content for bias and purpose
o Critique the usability and design of the website
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Phase 2 - In phase 2 the children in the upper grades continue the phase 1 act ivties and
are also exposed to technology and the computer lab. During this phase there is some
web exploration as well as use of creative ways to develop visual learning. For example:
o Students create "wordles" by looking up new words in the dictionary and typing
the words into a website that populates the words into an artistic design.
(Website: www.wordle.net)
o Students take physical projects and expand the concepts into the virtual world.
For example, the wall of respect in the front hall was expanded into a virtual wall
of respect by the students in the upper grades.
o Students explore others educational websites like: www.tagxedo.com,
www.abcya.com/word, -clouds.html
For more information on Mrs. Latimer or the library program you can contact Mrs. Latimer
directly or explore the following resources:
o Clinton Library catalog - tinyurl.com/clintoncatalog
o Clinton Library book blog http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/1900201026133833697/Blog/browse.asp?A=398&B
MDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55690
o Mrs. Latimer's website - www.anywherelibrarian.com
Physical Education – Mr. Lehman and Miss Freede
The Physical Education program is designed to develop and promote healthy life skills. The
program builds each year so the fundamental concepts taught in kindergarten and first grade (e.g.
spatial awareness, teamwork, following directions) form the basis for the more complex
activities (soccer, volleyball) that are taught in the upper grades.
In the early grades, learners play games such as:
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Scrambled Eggs - The children are eggs and they are asked to move through the room
following different directions (walk, hop, skip) without bumping into each other and
"breaking" the eggs.
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Pyramid Math - In this game, designed by Miss Freede, 15 hula hoops are laid on the
floor to form a pyramid and inside each hula hoop are two giant foam dice. The children
pair off at the bottom of the pyramid and roll the dice. The higher roll moves to the next
level of the pyramid to face another student and the lower roll goes back to the line for
the first layer of pyramid hoops. The game is in constant motion and no one is ever out.
If you make it to the top of the pyramid you do get a high five. The game teaches spatial
awareness, math concepts, patience and good sportsmanship. (We tried it and it was a
lot of fun).
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In the river/on the dock - The children line up on a line and they jump forward (into the
river) or backwards (on the dock) by verbal commands. The game teaches body
awareness, listening skills and balance.
Music - Mrs. Jacobsen
The Music program is designed to develop a love of music, build musical skills and grow a
student’s ability to express him/herself musically.
In 1st grade the students are learning about steady beats, soft/loud sounds and high/low sounds.
They are learning about quarter notes, eighth notes and rests. The classroom activities (which
involve clapping, saying, singing, and dancing the beats) are designed to support learning these
concepts. For example:
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Bow Wow Wow – In this standing song activity the children face a partner and sing
“Bow Wow Wow, Whose dog art thou?” (then they join hands and complete a half turn)
and sing “Little Tommy Tucker’s Dog” (release hands and jump 180 degrees to face the
next partner singing “Bow Wow Wow”.
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Pictorial Sound Tracing – Ms. Jacobsen holds up a cards with different types of
designs/lines and the children try to match their voices to the path of the line (up, down
etc.)
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Drums – The PTA purchased a wonderful set of drums for the music program. The
Kindergarten and 1st grade children are beginning to use the drums in small group and the
upper grades are using the drums as a group. The drums are a wonderful addition to the
program.
The students are also exposed to music history and a musician of the week is introduced each
week. Soon you will be able to check out the musician of the week on Ms. Jacobsen’s
website(http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/190020101514947180/site/default.asp?).
Mrs. Jacobsen is also working on a repertoire list that will be posted on her website to allow
parents to access the songs the students are learning in class.
For more ways to support your child's musical learning Mrs. Jacobsen recommends the
following websites:
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www.classicsforkids.com
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www.nyphilkid.org
Art – Ms. Tischio
Miss Tischio had sample are pieces from all the grades on display during the program. The
samples demonstrated the wide range of projects that the students are exposed to during their
time at Clinton School. In the beginning of the year each child creates a portfolio to store their
art pieces. Most art is not sent home until the end of the year but there are ways to view their art
sooner (see information below).
Miss Tischio shared that the PTA was able to pay to get the kiln fixed so the children will be able
to work more easily with clay this year (It has been unusable for about four years so this is
exciting news!).
Miss Tischio also shared that there is an art page on Clinton’s website
(http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/1900201015143853947/site/default.asp?) where you can view art
created by Clinton Students and get tips on cool art sights to visit with your art students at home
(check out http://www.albrightknox.org/artgames/index_launched.html).
You can also view and share your child’s art with family and friends by signing up to participate
in www.Artsonia.com. Miss Tischio uploads all of the students’ art onto the website and then
your friends and family can sign up to be fans. Your child can name their works of art and
explain what he or she liked about the project. Their fans can send your child comments and
encourage their love of art. You can also purchase great gifts showcasing your child’s art and
part of the proceeds is returned to the school to purchase art supplies for the program. If you are
interested in signing up you can email Miss Tischio directly at [email protected].
Miss Tischio also shared that their will be a recycled art enrichment class offered in the Spring
and she showed us a sample of her recycled art (using the insides of billing envelopes) – a
rendition of one of the illustrations from the book Where the Wild Things Are:
In the spring, Clinton hosts an Art & Music Festival. The choir and band perform and the school
is turned into a museum for the night. Each child selects his/her “best” piece to display in the art
show. More information about the event will be distributed in the spring. We hope you will all
be able to attend.